User:Aitantv/Uncle Boonmee, Apichatpong

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Single channel film, stereo sound, 01:54:00 duration. Kick the Machine, Thailand.

• The film, which explores themes of reincarnation, centers on the last days in the life of its title character, who is played by Thanapat Saisaymar. Together with his loved ones—including the spirit of his dead wife, Huay, and his lost son, Boonsong, who has returned in a non-human form—Boonmee explores his past lives as he contemplates the reasons for his illness.
• Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was inspired by the 1983 book A Man Who Can Recall His Past Lives by Buddhist abbot Phra Sripariyattiweti. The film is the final installment in a multi-platform art project by Apichatpong Weerasethakul called "Primitive". It premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or, becoming the first Thai film to do so.

caring/nursing

• Jaai employed by Boonmee as a nurse from Laos, who "crossed the Mekong river", Boonmee explains
• Jen "Aren't you afraid of illegal immigrants? They can rob you, kill you, and disappear? - Boonmee "The Laos are more hardworking that Thais
• drains his liquid/kidney fluids

dinner scene - monkey host ghost

• there's a whole way of life around this quiet, rural setting
• outside under a warm hanging table lamp - sits Tong, Uncle Boomee, Aunty Jen - the sound of grasshoppers - single long takes with a static camera - after some mundane conversation - "Will you be comfortable in your bedroom?" "These chilli noodles are delicious"
• Huay appears, older sister of Jen the wife of Uncle Boonmee, at first transparent - the diners look back in surprise - "I often wonder how you are, if you have food to eat, clothes to wear" (Boonmee) - "Here have some water, maybe you have travelled from far away (Boonmee) - "Huay are you here to take me away?" (Boonmee) [the constant reminder of mortality] -
• a monkey-man appears with beedy red eyes - Uncle Boonmee: "Jaai, is that you?" - the family turn to look towards camera - "Who are you?" "Boonsong", the monster replies. Boonsong is the spirit of the son of a Boonmee and Jen - now at the table is a monkey ghost and a ghost. "There are many outside now", explains Boonsong, "spirits and hungry animals like me" - Boonsong disappeared six years after Huay died - Boonsong found this strange monkey creature in the mountains when he was practicing "the art of photography" using Huay's camera - he eventually mated with a monkey ghost and left the world behind
• There are stakes - Uncle Boonmee has to settle his estate his farm -
• Jaai arrives, nephew of Uncle Boonmee, confused by Boonsong, the mokey ghost at the table - he will clean uncle Boonmee's kidneys

waterfall & the princess

• the princess who has sex with a catfish
• "who are you? are you some kind of ghost?" Princess - "I'm not a ghost. I'm a catfish." Catfish - she feels inadequate
• "Most people don't have what you have." (Catfish) - "But they have love" (princess) - that catfish disappears, and the princes goes into the water - "Will you turn my body white and pretty like in that reflection? These are mofferings. For you, the Lord of the water, who I am so graetful towards" (Princess) - the princess offers herself to the fish god
• the magic fish creates a beautiful reflection of the princess
• the length of each shots adds a weight to gesture

the forest

• Uncle Boonmee is ready to enter a different wheel of incarnation guided bu Huay - they walk through a forest surrounded by monkey ghosts

the cave

• they enter silhouetted through a foggy cave with torches - handheld we follow them into the cave Boonmee, Jen, Tong go deep into the cave the rocks sparkle like stars, its another universe - there's a thick heavy rumble in the background (can link to Sunshine State)
• a shot of the moon through the rock cavitieis >> at the opening of a dark cave - Uncle Boonmee "What's wrong with my eyes? They are oepn but i can't see a thing. Or are my eyes closed?" - Jen "Maybe you need time for your eyes to adjust to the dark".- Boonmee "This cave... It's like a womb, isn't it? I was born here in a life I can't recall. I only know that I was born here. I don't know if I was a human or an animal, a woman or a man."
• the dark entrance to a c- suave - subtle natural light - a monkey ghost appears with the luminous red eyes -
• stills - suddenly stills - Boonmee "Last night I dreamt of the future" - a unit of young soldiers, escorting the chained monkey ghosts -
• draining Boonmee's kidneys in the cave
• cut to exterior shot of dark blue misty forest, many monkey ghosts staring back - the red beedy eyes fixed on the camera

exterior forest day

• bodies lying in the cave in full sunlight - Jen, Tong are present. Boonmee's body lays with his drained kidney juice at his side.
• its so much about place and how the forest and grounds might be haunted.

funeral

• Tong as a buddhist monk in orange robes - people with hands in prayer
• repetitivie chanting - aunty Jen with her hands in prayer - seems like Apichatponh really has access to these spaces - everyone kneeling on bamboo rugs - lit up alter lots of ceiling fans - strong attention to architecture - the first time we are away from the crickets and the rural environment in a long time
• Jen is back in the city - maybe Bangkok - counting cash, presumably gifts to help with the funeral and mourning - Brother Tong in his monk robes - shouldn't be alone with his female relatives in the room - after showing, Tong "Come on, let's go eat." Tong "Roong let's go check out the 7-Eleven." Roong "I'm not hungry yet". Jen "I'm hungry." "Let's eat first. Before I go back to the temple." Jen "I thought you quit monkhood." Roong "You're not scared anymore". Tong "No. I've showered. Now I'm hungry." Roong "You smell like lemongrass...It will help keep away mosquitoes. But it makes you smell like tom yum soup." Tong "I'm edible". They're watching a news report of a military coup, state intervention, epidemic report. Tong is surprised. Jen ushers him away 'Let's go eat. Come on" - in a spiritual moment he meets himself, Jen and Tong see themselves and Roong watching TV - a reference to reincarnation.

• there's so much about reincarnation - recalling ghosts - narrating past lives